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Category Archives: Social Networking

We just released a brand new feature on BlogTalkRadio that integrates Facebook commenting on all of our show pages. Now, when a listener leaves a comment on a BlogTalkRadio show page, they have the ability to post that comment right onto their Facebook wall in order to continue the conversation here at BlogTalkRadio or on Facebook.

Try it! Just go to your favorite show on BlogTalkRadio, click on an episode and leave a comment for the host. Check the box that says “Post to Facebook” and just like that, you’re opening up the conversation to all of your friends on Facebook.

We’re really excited about this new update because it increases the interactivity between our hosts and their listeners and also gives our listeners the ability to promote their favorite hosts to their Facebook network. We hope all of our hosts will encourage their listeners to use this new feature to help spread the word and give their content an extra boost to be heard across the Internet!

We are really loving Google+ over here at BlogTalkRadio. So much so, that we’ve added a 1+ button to all of our profile and show pages. Now our listeners can share what they are loving on BlogTalkRadio on Google+ with the click of a button. And to top it off, now our hosts will be reaching a whole new set of people through their 1+’ing listeners!

And if you haven’t added our Google+ page yet to your circles, get to it here!

We just launched our Google+ page. We are so excited to be there and encourage you to add us to your circles. Be sure to spread the word to family & friends. And stay tuned for some fun and exciting updates and hangouts to come! Join us over at Google+.

We’ve been getting many questions and comments on recent BlogTalkRadio updates pertaining to followers so we wanted to explain why we made the changes and give you some options that will address your concerns.

Over the last few months we’ve been taking steps to transition from a friends to a followers model to make it easier for hosts to communicate with their listeners, and for both listeners and hosts to stay up to date on what’s new on BlogTalkRadio. Many of you voiced concern with the first step of this process, made a few weeks back. You were concerned about losing the friends that you worked so hard to connect with and build. So with the 2nd and final phase of this transition, instead of deleting your friends we transitioned them to followers, making anyone who was your friend a follower of your profile, and you a follower of theirs.

With this most recent update though, we again received feedback that some of you were not happy with the increase in messages you were receiving from shows you are now following so we’d like to offer you these 3 tips for managing your following list:

1. “Reset Accounts I Follow” Link
You can reset your account to the shows you originally selected to follow by clicking a “Reset Accounts I Follow” link that will appear for the next 2 weeks at the top of your My Account page. *Please note though that that this action can’t be reversed and will remove all of your “followers” that were formerly your “friends” on BlogTalkRadio.

2. Curate Your Following List
You can manually manage who you are following from the Shows I Follow page in your account.

3. Edit Your Email Notifications
You can make changes to your email notifications in the Notifications section of your Settings page so you don’t receive notifications to your external email.

We hope you find these options valuable. Again thanks for your feedback. As always, if you have questions or need additional assistance, contact us. We’re happy to help.

It’s been a mere three days since we launched Cinch—our latest social-media tool, which makes creating short, snappy podcasts, well, a cinch—but already the national media is taking note.

To say nothing of a comic legend.

The Wall Street Journal‘s App Watch column reports:

“For social networking aficionados who want to inject a little more personality into their status updates, a new app called Cinch from the folks at BlogTalkRadio allows users to post audio messages along with standard text and photos.

“The free iPhone app, which went live on Friday on iTunes and Cinchcast, is already garnering some buzz in Continue reading →

Beginning today, BlogTalkRadio’s platform joins the likes of WordPress, Hulu, Ustream.tv, Twitter Tracker and PollDaddy as a featured application on Ning, the social platform for interests and passions.

The BlogTalkRadio app enables any Ning Network Creator to host their own live, online radio show and stream the conversation to their members.

By joining with Ning, the BlogTalkRadio app is now available to more than Continue reading →

BlogTalkRadio has a FaceBook group made up of hosts, listeners and other BlogTalkRadio fans. We started the FaceBook group for several reasons. The main reason is to build our community and give our fans a place to share their shows and ideas. Another reason was to promote many of the day’s events. We also felt a FaceBook group would be a good way to create awareness and encourage others to join the BlogTalkRadio community.

If you would like to use Facebook to build your own community and market your podcast or online radio show, these tips can help.

1. Create a rock star profile – Your profile is the first stop for potential friends and followers. Make it interesting and reflective of your message. Make sure there’s a link to your podcast, your blogs and anything else you wish to promote.

3. Make friends with people who will be interested in your show – Do searches to find friends in your niche. Once you get to know everyone you can start introducing them to your show, if they haven’t already found it on your own. The tricks is to market conversationally and not resort to in your face spam tactics.

4. Join a Facebook group – The best way to meet like-minded people is to join Facebook groups. You can share ideas and tips and further establish yourself as an expert. You can even talk about your show now and then, especially if you have an interesting or notable guest.

5. Start your own Facebook group – Start a Facebook group around your show or genre. Share links, tips, ideas and interact as you build your own community.

6. Comment on other people walls and profiles – VMake friend’s with people who interest you and comment on their walls or profile page. You don’t have to spam them with links, but if you become an online friend, they will want to learn more about you.

7. Set up Facebook events – Have a major guest? Tell the world by creating a Facebook event. Invite everyone you know. List date, time, and descriptive paragraph.Facebook allows you to invite up to 100 people at a time so if you know a lot of people, you may have to send out several invites.

8. Facebook badges – Customizable Facebook badges allow you to share your information on other websites. The badges are automatically updated and visible to all who view it – not only Facebook friends.

9. Use Tweetdeck – Not only does Tweetdeck allow you to view all of your followers tweets, @replys, DM’s and searches at a glance, but you can also post updates to Twitter and Facebook at the same time, killing two birds with one proverbial stone.

10. Use BlogTalkRadio’s Tweet This and Share This buttons – On every show page is a “Tweet This” and “Share This” button conveniently allowing you to tell your favorite social networks about your shows just before they air. When your listeners tweet and share, they’re also encouraging more listeners.

An interesting discussion on BlogTalkRadio Insider yesterday carried over into the chatroom. The topic was chatroom etiquette and the discussion was whether or a not a thick skin is a prerequisite for anyone wishing to maintain an online presence. We talked about disagreeing with others. There are ways to do it, that aren’t acceptable – calling names, for instance. There are also ways of disagreeing so that respectful conversation ensues. It was suggested that many online personalities took respectful disagreement as a personal affront, when in reality it’s nothing more than a difference of opinion.

As someone who has had an online presence for a decade now, I can say I’ve seen all types. Those who agree or disagree respectfully, those who use anonymity to give them “keyboard courage” as fuel for trolling, and those who have no idea how to debate without resorting to name calling or personal attacks. As I moved up in the blogging and social media world, my skin did indeed grow thicker.

No one deserves to have a negative online experience, especially if they’re presenting their point of view in a respectful, thoughtful and intelligent manner. Not every disagreement is an attack, however. It’s like being a duck and letting it flow off your back. Positivity breeds positivity and negativity breeds more of the same. Yes, a thick skin is necessary for an online presence, but that’s not a negative thing. It means you have the ability to remain upbeat even when presented with a situation that’s less than ideal.

Here are some rules of thumb for when others disagree:

Consider the tone – is the other person really picking a fight or he is simply presenting another point of view?

Consider your community – how will they feel about all the negativity? What message are you sending them when there are constant heated exchanges? Who is worth more energy, the person who disagrees or the people who come to hear or read what you have to say everyday?

Before responding in anger take a little time - think about what was said and consider what kind of response is needed. When firing off an angry comment, sometimes it’s best to write what you want and walk away before pressing send. Coming back a few hours later may present it all in a whole other light and you’ll probably reconsider an angry retort.

Disagreement is not a personal affront or insult – If people are a part of your community or coming to read or hear what you have to say it means they respect your opinion. By responding to their comments in a thoughtful manner, you’re offering that same respect in return.

I’d love to read your thoughts. Is a thick skin necessary for an online presence? How do you respond to someone who disagrees with your point of view?